Time-stamp



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

J. M. PETERS.

TIME STAMP.

No. 453,206. Patented June 2, 1891.

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WITNESSES: 6%

INVENTOH jwia hfim BY WM ATTU RN EYJ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ETERS.

(N0 Modem v E STAMP,

No. 453,206. Patented J 2,1891.

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ungo wnsumuwu n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. PETERS, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

TIME-STAM P.

EiPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,206, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed September 20, 1889. Serial No. 324,590. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. PETERS, of Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Time-Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe a time-stamp embodying my improvement, and then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a time-stamp embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical section of the same, taken at the plane of the dotted line 00 00, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow which is at one end of the line. Fig. 4; is aview like Fig. 3, but showing the parts in different positions. Fig. 5 is a side view of certain parts,illustrating a modification. Fig. 6 is a sectional side view of certain parts, illustrating another modification. Fig. 7 is a side View of certain parts, illustrating another modification. Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken at the plane of the dotted line 3 y, Fig. 7, and looking in the direction of the arrow which is located at one end of said line. Fig. 9 is a side view of certain parts, illustrating another modification.

Similar letters of reference design ate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a tubular shaft for driving a printing-form. Its proportions may be understood by a glance at the portion which 18 represented in Fig. l by dotted outlines sectioned or broken away. It is intended to be suffieiently stout and strong to resist the strains which will be produced by blows or by pressure in stamping. I have shown it as supported in bearings located in plates or uprights B B which are erectedupon a basepiece B of suitable construction. On this shaft A is secured a wheel or printing-form 0, bearing figures indicative of some or all of the hours of a day, and preferably also bearing marks indicative of fractions of hours. In the present example of the 1111- provement the shaft A in rotating moves the periphery of this wheel beneatha platen D, and an apron E, provided with ink or other marking material, and termed by me an inkapron, passes between the wheel and the platen.

On the shaft A, I have also shown otherprinting forms or wheels 0 G G but, unlike the wheel O, these wheels 0 O C are loose on the shaft, so that they can turn independently thereof. The wheel 0' bears upon its periphery figures indicative of years, the wheel 0 bears uponits periphery letters indicative of months, and the wheel 0 bears upon its periphery figures indicative of the days of a month. All of these wheels 0 C C are shown as located beneath the platen D and under the inkapron E. The ink-apron E is wound upon a roller E and, after passing over the wheels 0 O O 0 is rewound upon a roller E its motion being produced by the hand of the user of the instrument applied to the roller upon which the apron is taken up. The ink-apron forms no part of my present improvement, and, indeed, so far as my improvement is concerned, other means for marking may be employed.

The platen consists in the presentinstance of a pad secured to the end of aswinging arm D, pivoted by a pin D to an upright B erected upon the base-piece B Ihave shown the platen as provided with a hand-piece D by which it may be conveniently operated. The construction of the platen as well as the method of supporting it are not essential, but may be varied, as they form no part of my improvement. In the present example of my improvement it is intended that the platen be raised and held in an elevated position by a spring D and be forced downwardly by the hand of the user of the instrument. hen it is forced down, the pressure or strain exerted upon the printing-wheels will be sustained by the tubular shaft A and need not be transmitted to any of the other mechanism of the stamp.

I have shown the wheels 0' C C as made in the form of crown-wheels, or, in other words, as having teeth extending parallel with the axes. Vltll these wheels are shown as combined wheels G, said wheels being loosely mounted upon supporting-shafts and capable of being separately rotated by the finger of the user of the stamp to effect the rotation of the said wheels 0 O 0. As these wheels 0 (J 0 do not need to be rotated except periodically, they may as well be rotated in the manner suggested. The wheel 0, howof the teeth of the wheel H.

ever, is operated by time mechanism, as I will now explain. Through the shaft A passes a shaft H, which may be supported in hearings in any suitable manner and notintended to contact with the shaft A. At the front end of the stamp is a dial I. The shaft H has combined with it a train of dial-work serving to impart thepropermotionto handsJ J around thedial. The shaft A is driven by a spring K, (see Fig. 1,) which at one end is secured to a winding-arbor and at the other end to a wheel L. The wheel L transmits through ordinary clock-gearing motion to the shaft II. From the shaft H motion is transmitted by a gearwheel H to a gear-wheel H mounted upon a shaft M. The shaft M has affixed to it a pinion N, which engages with a gear-wheel O, affixed to the shaft A. The shaft M is j ournaled in the upright B and at the other end has its journal fitted into. a vertical slot in an upright 13, erected on the base-piece B". Owing to this the end of the shaft M, which is provided with a wheel 11 may be raised and lowered. It is lowered to cause it to operatively engage with the wheel H, and when raised its teeth will be separated from the teeth of the wheel H so that there will be for the time no engagement, although it is not intended that the teeth of the wheel H shall be moved out of the range or pitch-line The advantage of raising the wheel H is to temporarily suspend the engagement of the two wheels, so that the driving mechanism, or, in other words, the time mechanism, may proceed to operate in the ordinary manner during the time that the stamping is being done, and the wheel 0 may be stationary. The wheel 0 will be held stationary but a moment (I mean by this any brief interval) during stamping, and sufficient time is afforded for the stamping by the partial disengagement of the two wheels II H Whenever the wheel H is lowered, so as to resume full eugagement with the wheel H, its teeth by sliding lengthwise of the teeth of the wheel II will be operated upon by the latter with a cam-like or wedge-like action, and hence the wheel II will be partially rotated by its descent and will be made to catch up and regain its position relatively to the wheel H.

From the above description it will be seen that the shaft M drives the printing-form, that the wheel II thereon is in effect a portion of the shaft, and that the wheel H is in effect a portion of the time-shaft, which do rives motion from the spring K. It will be further observed that each tooth of a wheel is a tooth adapted to engage in a notch formed between two teeth of the other wheel. By my improvement, therefore, I am enabled to suspend the operation of an automaticallyrotated printing-wheel in a time-stamp while allowing the time mechanism to continue its operation, so as to avoid being thrown out of time, and, withal, I enable the printing-wheel to catch up with the time mechanism when said printing-wheel again begins its motion.

Any suitable means for raising and lowering the wheel 11 may be employed. In the present instance I have shown a lever I, fulcrumed to abracket p, secured to the upright B and supporting in one arm one end of the shaft M, and having the other arm extended under the swinging arm D, carrying the platen. \Vhen this means is employed, the descent of the platen will act on the wheel H so as to effect its partial disengagement. A spring I applied to the lever P, will aid in lowering the wheel II into its normal position. There may be a shell or drum Q inclosing the train of wheels, in which case the leverP will project through a slot formed therein. It will be seen that in this example of my improvement the shaft of certain wheels is tilted or swung to produce its partial disengagement from its fellow.

In Fig. 3 the wheel II is shown in engagement with the wheel II, and in Fig. -1- it is represented in partial disengagement from the wheel H.

In Fig. 5 the shaft Mis intended to be supported in bearings, so as to be incapable of movement. The wheel II has teeth which taper in the direction of its axis, and the wheel II has reversely-tapering teeth. The wheel H is capable of sliding lengthwise along the shaft M. The lever P serves when the platen is depressed to move the wheel 11 in such direction along the shaft M as to bring the small ends of the teeth between the small ends of the teeth of the wheel Il, so that a space will be left between the teeth of the two wheels and the wheels will be partially disengaged.

Instead of two reversely-tapering sets of teeth, pins projecting radially from one wheel maybe employed. Such pins would constitute teeth. A spring H moves the wheel H back to its normal position when the platen rises. A collar H on the shaft M limits the movement of the wheel II under the influence of this spring. In this example of my improvement the wheels II II are in effect a portion of the shaft upon which they are respectively mounted, and each tooth and notch is in effect a single tooth and notch, as in the first example.

IVhen aspace is provided between the teeth of the wheels H H there is provision for the operation of the time mechanism to continue during the stamping, and on the movement of the wheel H to its normal position it will be caused to catch up with the wheel II, so as to properly adjust the printing-wheel with relation to the time mechanism.

In Fig. 6 the wheels H H are dispensed with, and the shaft A is coupled to the shaft H and is in this example in effect a rotary part or wheel deriving motion from the shaft II. In this example of the improvement the end portion of the shaft A is provided with a tooth a, tapering longitudinally and in the direction of the axis of said shaft A toward the end of the latter.

On the shaft H is a sleeve R, which is locked to turn with said shaft by means of a feather a", but may be slid lengthwise of the shaft along said feather. This sleeve has a notch or aperture made tapering to correspond with the tooth a. Acircumferential groove in the sleeve receives the end of a lever P, which is operated in one direction by the swinging arm D, carrying the platen, and in the reverse direction bya spring P. When the platen descends,the sleeve is forcedin a direction away from the end of the shaft A, and when this occurs a spaceis provided between its notch or aperture and the tooth a of the shaft A, so that the shaft A and the printing-wheel may remain stationary for a moment, and yet the time mechanism may go on. A pin inserted in the shaft A may be substituted for the tooth a and would form a tooth. When the platen rises,the spring P will shift the sleeve in a direction toward the end of the shaft A, and thereby cause the notch or aperture of the sleeve to engage closely with the tooth of the shaft, and also cause the shaft Ato catch up with the shaft H.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is a bevel-wheel H intermediate of the wheels H and O, and this is secured to a shaft M, which is longitudinally movable in its bearings. The lever P is engaged with this shaft, and upon the depression of the platen lifts up the shaft, and with it the wheel H so as to partially disengage the wheel H from the wheels H and O to allow thetime mechanism to continue moving during the stamping. In this example of my improvement the wheel ll is in effect a portion of the shaft upon which it is mounted, and'the wheels H and O are in effect a portion of the shaft upon which the wheel 0 is mounted, and each tooth and notch is in effect a single tooth and notch.

In Fig. 9 there is a bevel-wheel H This may have a printing-wheel O, heretofore described, fastened to it, or it maybe formed so as to constitute a wheel having the function of the said printing-wheel O. The platen in its descent contacts with the wheel 0 or upper part of this bevel-wheel H The shaft M of the wheel is at the lower end journaled in a step-bearing and at the upper end journaled in a bracket S, provided with a slot which is elongated in the direction of the axis of the wheel H. A spring P, 0011- with the teeth of the wheel H. In this example the wheels H H are in effect a portion of the shafts upon which they are mounted, and each tooth and notch are in effect a single tooth and notch, as in the example first mentioned.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with time mechanism, of a printing-form, a shaft for drivingsaid printing-form, a time-shaft driven by the time mechanism for imparting motion to the formdriving shaft, a movable tooth on one of said shafts, a rotary part secured to the other shaft and having a notch for engaging with the tooth, said tooth and notch being so constructed that there is a taper of one relative to the other, and mechanism, substantially such as described, for producinga partial disengagement of said tooth and notch,substantially as specified.

2. In a time-stamp, the combination, with time mechanism, of a rotary printing-form, a shaft for rotating said printing-form, a timeshaft driven by the time mechanism for imparting motion to the first-named shaft, a movable tooth on one of said shafts, a rotary part on the other shaft havinga notch for engaging with the tooth, the said tooth and notch being so constructed that there is a taper of one relative to the other, a swinging platen, and a lever between said platen and rotary part, whereby a partial disengagement of the movable tooth and the notch in the rotary part is made when the platen is depressed, I

substantially as specified.

In a time-stamp, the combination, with time mechanism,of atime-shaft rotatedby said time mechanism, a hollow shaft into which the time-shaft extends, a movable tooth on one of said shafts, a rotary part on the other of said shafts, provided with a notch to engage the tooth, the one having a taper relative to the other, a printing-form rotated by the hollow shaft, and mechanism, substantially such as described, for causing a partial disengagement of the movable tooth and notch, substantially as specified.

4:- In a time-stamp, the combination, with time mechanism, of a time-shaft extending therefrom, a printing-form shaft, a sliding sleeve on the first-named shaft, having a notch, a tooth on the second-named shaft to engage the notch of the sleeve, the one having a taper relative to the other, mechanism, substantially such as described, for moving the sleeve, and a printing-form rotated by the printing-form shaft, substantially as specified.

JOHN M. PETERS.

Vitnesses:

O. R. FERGUSON, WM. M. ILIFF. 

